About “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda”

“And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” is a song written by Scottish-born folk singer-songwriter Eric Bogle in 1971. The song describes war as futile and gruesome, while criticising those who seek to glorify it. This is exemplified in the song by the account of a young Australian soldier who is maimed at the Battle of Gallipoli during the First World War. The song is often praised for its imagery of the devastation at Gallipoli. The protagonist, a swagman before the war, loses his legs in the battle and later notes the death of other veterans with time, as younger generations become apathetic to the veterans and their cause. The song incorporates the melody and a few lines of the lyrics of “Waltzing Matilda” at its conclusion.